Say hello to our amazing leaders who will be heading out on epic adventures on Alaska Mountains and Coast and throughout New England!
Name: Lily Hatrick (she/her)
2026 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Prior Apogee experience: Maine’s Downeast Explorer ‘25 and New England Mountains & Coast ‘25
Hometown: Brunswick, Maine
School: Macalester College
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness Swim Safety, and CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Running, biking, kayaking, hammocking, and ice skating
Highlights from the past year: After spending the summer back home in Maine leading for Apogee, Lily was thrilled to return to school for her senior year, where she ran cross country and track for Macalester one last time!
Where you can find Lily when she’s not on a run: She’s likely reading, snacking on popcorn with her roommates, hanging out with her cat, or singing and dancing.
More reasons to love Lily: She has coached girls’ lacrosse her whole life, and has competed for Macalester’s cross country and track teams while a student there. Lily spent a semester studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, where she hiked all over the island that she lived on with her wonderful host family. She also conducted geomorphological research in Glacier National Park a few summers ago. And speaking of national parks, Lily has completed an impressive number of Junior Ranger programs across the country! She is so excited to return to Apogee and to explore the wild nature of Alaska with her students.
Name: Ashton Dunlap (he/him)
2026 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Wooster, Ohio
School: Bowdoin College
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid and CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Running, biking, and disc golf
Highlights of the past year: Ashton explored Europe for the first time last year, studying abroad in Vienna! He also enjoyed taking a road trip to Maine to see his friends from college and visited a friend’s family farm!
Where you can find Ashton when he’s not day dreaming about Europe: He’s likely painting, drawing, or playing a board game.
A few more reasons why Ashton is the coolest: He studied Education while at Bowdoin, and he will be a student‑teacher in 2027 as he plans to explore a career as an educator. When Ashton wasn’t in the classroom honing his teaching chops, he was learning practical skills—like tuning up his own bike. And, importantly, he has never lost a game of Just Dance (it sounds like our Alaska groups might be due for a few rounds of Dance Game this summer). Ashton is thrilled to join the Apogee team and can’t wait to explore the vast beauty of Alaska and breathe in that fresh air all summer.
Name: Rowan Meltmar (he/him)
2026 Trips: Maine Coast Junior and New England Field Leader
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
School: Dickinson College
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Swim Safety, and CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Disc golf, hiking, skiing, ultimate frisbee, bird watching, and kayaking
Highlights of the past year: Venturing west on a trip to Colorado last year, where he hiked in Breckenridge with friends, played disc golf in Frisco, and skied at Snowmass with his family.
Where you can find Rowan when he isn’t playing disc golf: When he’s not on the course, you’ll likely find him hanging out with friends—cooking together, watching movies, or spending time outside. He also enjoys reading a good book of fiction and watching soccer.
Super fun facts about Rowan that will make you smile: Rowan currently works as both an outdoor educator and a substitute teacher. During the pandemic, he learned how to juggle and now loves teaching his students—and anyone else who’s interested—how to juggle, too! He is also a huge Manchester United fan and is excited for the World Cup to come to the U.S. this summer. On top of that, Rowan is an enthusiastic birder and is currently learning as much as he can about Maine’s birdlife so he can be on the lookout along the coast this summer. Rowan is ecstatic to be joining the Apogee team this summer and becoming part of the community!
Name: Marina Garlick (she/her)
2026 Trips: New England Mountains & Coast and New England Field Leader
Hometown: Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
School: St. Lawrence University
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness Swim Safety, and CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Rock climbing, swimming (in any body of water), trail running, and reading a book under a tree
Highlights of the past year: Holy moly—Marina has had quite a year! She rock climbed in Joshua Tree National Park, rafted and camped on the San Juan River while learning about the waters of the West, and completed St. Lawrence’s Adirondack Semester (more on that below).
Where you can find Marina when she’s not hiking or traveling: She’s probably reading, spending time with her housemates, or heading out on an adventure with friends!
Other reasons we think Marina is the bee’s knees: Marina grew up on an island, so she took a boat to school! She also lived in the Netherlands for her last two years of high school. During her recently completed Adirondack Semester at St. Lawrence, she lived off the grid in a yurt for three months, where she studied themes of community development and outdoor leadership. Marina is so excited to join the Apogee community this summer, and she is looking forward to meeting her students and sharing the many adventures that lie ahead of them!